Labour 'serious' on roading projects

Phil promises more money

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Labour is promising to put more money into regional roading projects that may include SH3 north of New Plymouth.

But the party's transport and housing spokesman Phil Twyford stopped short of saying a Labour government would definitely fix the road.

"What Labour is going to do is restore the balance and put more money into regional roading projects and take a hard look at economic value and I believe that will put SH3 in a much much stronger position to get funding."

Twyford's visit to Taranaki yesterday included Port Taranaki, New Plymouth Mayor Andrew Judd and a trip to Stratford. He then returned to New Plymouth for a public meeting last night.

Twyford said he was aware of what an important economic lifeline the road north was and the bad state it was in. Labour was taking the economic value of roading projects really seriously.

Putting his housing hat on, Twyford said New Zealand had a housing crisis in Auckland and Christchurch, but there were "spill-overs" all over New Zealand. New Plymouth came in at 54.5 per cent on the Roost Home Affordability index, he said.

"Anything over 40 per cent is considered to be unaffordable."

On average people in New Plymouth are paying more than half their income on their mortgages and first home buyers have to find $84,000 for a medium house deposit. Labour's Kiwibuild project would see 10,000 new homes a year and when added to the party's capital gains tax would see the heat come off the housing market, he said.